Venetian blind vane spacer



April 21, 1953 R, s. KING YENETIN BLIND VANE SPACER v Filed Dc. `1o, 1951 Qt- Y vvane torotate on its vertical axis. l Another object of my invention is to "a spacer of thscharacte'rfthat is' simple in construction, inexpensive 'to'man'ufactura easily in'-U `stalled and highly'resistantto wear and tdthe v'stresses and strains whichare placed'upn vane -spacers during normal operation.

Patented Apr. 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VENETIAN BLIND VVANE SPACER Robert S. King, Oak Park, lll.

Application December 10, 1951, Serial No. 260,865

7 Claims. Y.,(Cl. 160-172) 1 v. My invention relates to a Venetian blind of the vertical type and more particularly to a vane spacer for use therein. This type of blind has a? headf'rame with a headframe floor and vertically disposed vanes. In this type of blind it is generally contemplated that each vane Will be supported in a vertical position by an appropriate vane shaft extending through a longitudinal slot in the headframe iloor.

Each vane spacer is adapted to receive a vane' shaft so that the vane shaft and its Adepending vane may be rotated about their vertical axis.

Further, the vane spacer, which is positioned.-

above the longitudinal slot, is adapted to be moved horizontally along the headframe floor ofv proper and which may be moved in either direc tion across the face ofthe blind.

Another object of my invention'is to provide l avane spacer whereby the'vanes of a Venetian blind may be progressively spaced across the Another object is to provide a spacer that con- `:stitutes a unitarysupporting means for each vane which cooperates to move the individual vane transversely of the window and which-allows the provide Prior Venetian bIinds'haVe generally resorted to separate mechanisms to support-the vane and to effect equal spacing thereof. The'prio'r spacing means have generallybeen of -a pliable ma- Aterial such as tapes and strings which are subject "to wear and consequent periodic replacement.

Also, they tend to bind in use.

In the present structure each vaneis supported :and spaced by my unitary vane spacer. My .vane

spacer, being constructed of rigid material such the life of the blind.

understood, of cours'efthat in commercial appli- It `is to be.`

ias' metal, is not subject to wear, under ordinaryA use, and therefore need not be replaced duringy lcations of the invention various details might well vary from those here shown and described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 `is a perspective view, partly broken away, of the headframe iloor of a venetian blind of the vertical vane type, showing the assembly of my vane spacers;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a single vane spacer.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Fig. 1 thereof, my vane spacers are illustrated in assembled relation on headframe floor l of a vertical type Venetian blind. Floor l has a longitudinal slot 2 through which pass vane shafts I6. Slot 2 allows the vane shafts andiassociated depending vanes to move laterally of the headframe. l

A drive element l'6, located at the movable end of the assembly, is adapted to be moved backand forth along slot 2 by suitable traversing means I The illustrated embodiment-of my'vane spacer (Fig. 2) is formed from-a' single length of wire. One end of this wire is bent into a vertically-'disposed loop 2| which denes a rst horizontal aperture Il. The wire then follows a rearward course from the top of loop 2| toa point'where `it has a horizontal-U-bend 22 vwhich 'denes a `vertical opening 8 .at the rear top of the vane spacer. The wire-continues to the. front of .tlie vane spacer where it is provided with a vertical .U-bend .23, the lower leg of which. lies'in-:the :bottom plane of the vane spacer.V U-b'end 2'3 'defines a second horizontal aperture l0. The wire is then formed with a second horizontally disposed U-bend 24 which vprovides ver- .tical opening 9 at the rear ofgthe vane spacer below and in spaced relation from the first horlzontal U-bend 22. This Astructure forms a vane spacer body having two spaced sidewalls, one lcomprising vertical loop 2l and the otherl comprising vertical U-bend 23. The sidewalls have -alignedapertures i! and l0, respectively, and aperture l l is smaller than aperture ill, as shown in the drawing. The body also has a vertical opening |'8 therethrough comprising the indivi- .dual vertical opening 8 and 9 of horizontal U- .bends 22'and 24, respectively.

Drive element 6 has the same body structure as has lthus far beendescribed for the-vane spacer.

Following Ugbend 24 the wire is bent in agenerally vertical right angle bend I9 substantially midway between the frontand the rear of the Next, 4the wire is bent in alaterally extending right angle b endZ. The laterallyextendingwire length is bent in an arcuate shape to form spacing portion or spacing element 5, the free end of which is bent at a right angle to form a stop I2.

It is apparent that by means of right angle bends I9 and 20 there is formed an arcuate spacing element which extends laterally from the vertical midpoint of the smaller apertured side of the vane spacer body in a direction generally perpendicular thereto. Thus, any longitudinal force exerted on said spacing element will generally be applied to the central portion of the body.

Referring to Fig. l, it will be seen that the left hand vane spacer of the assembled series of vane spacers is engaged by an anchor 4 attached to a post 3 by means of an anchoring loop I3. Anchor 4 is comparable in size and shape to spacing element '5 of each vane spacer.

In use, each vane spacer is associated with .one end of a vane I'I. The vane end is provided with a shaft I6 (Fig. l) that extends through the vertical opening I8 in the vane spacer. A collar 25 lat the end of shaft I6 rests on the .top of the vane spacer. as shown at the right in Fig. 1, and the vane spacer rests on the headframe floor I with shaft I5 extending through slot 2. Vane rotation element 1 is integral with collar 25 and controls the degree of rotation of vane shaft i6 and its associated vane. Vertical opening i8 is large enough to allow free rotation of the vane shaft i6.

Anchor 4, the vane spacers and the drive element 6 are assembled above slot 2 of -headframe oor I. Anchor 4-is coupled to the adjacent vane spacer by slidingly passing the free end thereof through horizontal apertures I-I I of said vane spacer. Stop I2 of anchor 4 engages the peripheral edge of horizontal aperture I I formed by loop 42l of one of the sidewalls of said vane spacers when the vane spacers are moved away from each other during traverse movementas the blind is moved to its open position. In a similar manner spacing element 5 of each vane spacer is slidingly I coupled to the next adjacent vane spacer through the interaction of stop I2 and the peripheral edge of horizontal aperture I I formed by loop 2I of the sidewalls of each of said vane spacers.. The last vane spacer is similarly slidingly coupled to drive element 6, as shown.

In Fig. 1, the coupled `vane spacers are illustrated in the positions they occupy when the traversing arrangement-has been used to bring the blind to its nearly fully opened position. The traversing force has been appliedto move drive element 6 to the left. As shown, this element has fully telescoped the spacing element 5 of the adjacent vane spacer, and the latter has been .moved to the left so as to fully telescope the spacf The same is ing element 5 cf the next spacer. true of .the next three. spacers.

Additional traversing force applied to drive element 6 will bring the two separated' vane spacers together in the same mannenand finally will cause the last vane spacer to be moved to the lend of slot 2.

In this condition the blind is fully open.

As the spacing element 5 of each vane spacer telescopes the adjacent vane spacer, the. spacing element 5. swings forward, lookingat Fig. i. -This swinging motion is accommodated withoutv -bind- :ingpbecause one of the horizontal apertures in vane spacer by the amount permitted by spacing element 5. the periphery of horizontal aperture II formed by loop 2| of drive element 6 is engaged by stop I2 of the adjacent vane spacer. Continued movement of element 6 thus results also in moving the adjacent vane spacer until it in turn is engaged by stop I2 of the next vane spacer as described. This process is progressively repeated until drive element 6 has been moved to its extreme right hand position in the headframe. At this time the blind is fully closed and the individual vanes are properly spaced in the blind, anchor 4 serving to space the last vane at the extreme left (Fig. 1) as described. The spacing of each vane, as previously mentioned, is measured by the length of the spacing element 5 of each vane spacer.

From the abovedescription it is thought that the construction and advantages of my invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art. Various .changes in detail may be made without departing Vfrom the spirit or losing the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, whatl I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A Venetian blind structure comprising a headframe having a floor with a slot extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of vertical vanes, each of which has a shaft extending through said slot, a plurality of vane spacers positioned above said slot, each vane spacer comprising a body having a vertical opening therethrough for receiving a vane shaft for rotation therein, said body having a pair of spaced sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having a horizontal aperture, one of said apertures being smaller than the other, an elongated arcuate spacing portion extending from the smaller apertured side of said body in a direction generally perpendicular thereto, .said spacing portion having stop means at the free end thereof, said vane spacers being arranged in a series with the spacing portion of one spacer extending through the apertures of an adjacent spacer, an anchor at one end of the series and having one end thereof attached to said floor adjacent to one end of said slot and having a stop portion at its other end, said anchor extending through the apertures of the rst'vane spacer of the series, a drive element comprising a body similar in structure to the `said vanel spacer body .and disposed at the other end of the series, the shaft of one of said vanes extending through the vertical opening of said drive element, traversing means ydrivably connected to the drive element, the spacing portion of the last vane spacer of the series extending through the apertures of said drive element, said stop means and said spacing Portion being arranged to engage a sidewall of the adjacent body whereby to limit movement of the vane spacers and drive element in relation to said slot.

2. A Venetian blind structure comprising a headframe having a floor with a slot extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of vertical vanes,..each of which has a shaft extending 4through said slot, a plurality of vane spacers therein, said body having a pair of spaced sidewalls, each of said sidewalls having a horizontal aperture, one of said apertures `being smaller than the other, an elongated arcuate spacing portion extending from the smaller apertured side of said body in a direction generally perpendicular thereto, said spacing portion having stop means at the free end thereof, said vane spacers being arranged in a series with the spacing portion of one spacer extending through the apertures of an adjacent spacer, an anchor at one end of the series and having one end thereof attached to said floor adjacent to one end of said slot and having a stop portion at its other end, said anchor extending through the apertures of the first vane spacer of the series, a drive element comprising a body similar to structure to the said vane spacer body and disposed at the other end of the series, the shaft oi' one of said vanes extending through the vertical opening of said drive element, traversing means drivably connected to the drive element, the spacing portion of the last vane spacer of the series extending through the apertures of said drive element, said vanes, said spacers, said drive element and said traversing means being so arranged in relation to one another that movement of said traversing means in either direction will cause corresponding movement of the vanes progressively.

3. In a Venetian blind structure comprising a headframe having a :door with a slot extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of vertical vanes each having a shaft extending through said slot, an anchor having one end attached to said oor adjacent one end of said slot and having stop means at its other end, a drive element above the other end of said slot, a plurality of vane spacers positioned above said slot between said anchor and said drive element, each vane spacer comprising a body having a vertical opening therethrough for receiving a vane shaft for rotation therein, said body having a pair of spaced sidewalls, a horizontal aperture in each of said sidewalls, one of said apertures being smaller than the other, an elongated arcuate spacing element extending from the smaller apertured side of said body in a direction generally perpendicular thereto, said spacing element having a stop means at the free end thereof, said drive element having a body similar in structure to the aforesaid vane spacer body, said vane spacers being arranged in series, the spacing element of each vane spacer except the last of the series extending loosely through the sidewall apertures of an adjacent vane spacer, the free endof said anchor extending loosely through the apertures of the first vane spacer of the series extending loosely through the apertures of the drive element.

4. A vane spacer formed of a single length of wire, said length of wire having a vertically disposed looprat one end, the wire continuing rearwardly from the top of said loop, a first horizontal U-bend at the rear of the spacer, a vertical U-bend at the front of the spacer and laterally spaced from said loop, a second horizontal U-bend at the rear of the spacer vertically spaced from said first horizontal U-bend, a generally right angle vertical bend substantially midway between the front and rear of the spacer, a laterally extending right angle bend substantially midway between the bottom and top of the spacer, the laterally extending bend being arcuate in shape and having its free end bent at a right angle to form a stop.

5. A vane spacer comprising a body having a vertical opening therethrough adapted to rotatably receive a vane shaft, said body having an elongated arcuate spacing element extending laterally therefrom, stop means at the free end of said element, said body also having a horizontal opening therethrough adapted to slidingly receive the arcuate spacing element of an adjacent vane spacer, said stop means being effective to preventv disengagement of said spacing element and said adjacent vane spacer.

6. A vane spacer comprising a body having a vertical opening therethrough adapted to rotatably receive a vane shaft, said body having a pair of spaced sidewalls with a horizontal aperture in each, one of said apertures being smaller than the other, an elongated arcuate spacing element extending from the smaller apertured side of said body in a direction generally perpendicular thereto, and stop means at the free end of said element.

7. A vane spacer comprising a body having a vertical opening therethrough adapted to rotatably receive a vane shaft, said body having a pair of spaced sidewalls with a horizontal aperture in each, one of said apertures being smaller than the other, an elongated arcuate spacing element extending from the central portion of the smaller apertured side of said body and so arranged in relation to said body that any longitudinal force exerted on said'spacing element will be applied to the central portion of said body, and stop means at the free end of said element.

ROBERT S. ICING.

References Cited in the Iile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,037,938 Lessing Sept. 10, 1912 2,135,647 Streby Nov. 8, 1938 

